Automatic woodworking machine



July 1o;f192s. 1,676,738

w. LOTTERMAN ET AL n vAUTOMATIG WOODWORKING MACHINE' Filed Jan. 2e, 1925 8 Sheets-Sheet l July 1o, 192s. f 1,676,738

' W. LOTTERMAN ET AL AUTOMATIC WOODWORKING MACHINE Fil Jn. ze, 1925' 8 sheets-sheet, e-

I j fmt i July w. LOTTERMAN ET AL AUTOMAIIG WOODWORKING MACHINEl Filed Jan. 26, 1925 y July 10,1928. Lavagne;H y w..| oTTERMAN -E-r AL AUTOMATIC wooDwoRKING MACHINE' FiledJan. 26,` 1925 S'Sheets-sheet 4 1,676,738 w. LOTTERMAN ET AL Y AUTOMATIC WOODWORKING MACHINE July I0, i 1928.

Filed Jan. 26, 1925 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Els@ 153W f v j C Own@ July 10,1928. 1,676,738

W. LOTTERMAN ET AL..

AUTOMATIC WOODWORKING MAGHINE` Filed Jan. 26, 1925 8 sheets-sheet, e

July 1o, 192s. 1,676,738 J W. LOTTERMAN ET AL AUTOMATIC woDwoRKING ,MACFIINEA Filed Jan. 2, 1925 48 Sheets-Sheet 7 cal section of the position from that Patented July l0, 1928.

WILLIAM LOTTERMAN, LEONARD B. LESTER, AND MERE/ITT IK. OBTON, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

AUTOMATIC WOODWORKING MACHINE.

Application led January 26, 1925. Serial N9. 4,718.

This invention relates to an automatic wood working machine by means of which a variety of Wood turning or cutting operations may be performed on a continuous length of material. which may be t-urned and cut into shorter lengths or variously formed as desired. As one operation which maybe performed by the machine and which isi lustrated in the drawings forming part of this description, it can cut dowels very quickly and rapidly. By `use of dilierent tools to operate' upon the length of material fed into the machine different articles can be' formed.

It is an object and purpose of the present invention to construct a practical and operative machine of this character particularly effective for the work which it is designed to produce and by means of which a large quantity production can be obtained. The

A invention consists in many novel details'of construction and arrangements of parts for practically and effectively attaining the results above stated, as well as many others .not at this time enumerated butwhich will appear as'an understanding of the invention is had from the -following description taken in connection with .the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. l is an elevation of the machine with vparts broken away for a disclosure of the vinterior mechanis Fig. 2 is a central through the upper part of the machine.

Fig. 3 is alplan view of the machine with parts broken away and in section for better disclosure of the construction.

v Fig. 4-is a horizontal section taken on the plane of line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section substantially on the plane of line 5 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section substantially on the plane of line 6 of Fig. 2

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary longitudiilal vertifront portion of the machine, illustrating the cutters in a different shown in Fig. 2, the cut- -ters being shown in Fig. 7 as operating to cut a dowel and in Fig. 2 in an inoperative position.

Fig. 8 is a view of a dowel which formed by the machine with the shown.

may be cutters 'a' lever 10 pivotally longitudinal secti on A15 adapted to drive,

' The belt 16V is Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section substantially on the plane of line 9 of Fig. 2 and looking to the rear as indicated by thearrow, and

Fig. 10 is a like view on the plane of line 10 of Fig. 2. v

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the diii'erent figures of the drawings.

In the construction of the machine, a hollow supporting pedestal l of iron is used, at the upper end of which is a hollow housing 2 forming in eiiect a vertical extension to the pedestal 1, the same havilig an open bottom and a top 3 through which openings are made for the passage of different ver,-

tically extending parts of the mechanism. A

shaft 4 is mounted horizontally on the pedestal 1 toward its lower end, at one end extending beyond the rear side of the pedestal and carrying loose and fixed pulleys 5 and 6, respectively, with which a drive belt 7 connected with any suitable source of power may be associated. The belt is shiftable from the loose to the fixed pulley and vice versa through a belt shifter fork 8 xed at the end of a slidable rod 9 which, at its opposite end, is connected to the lower end of mounted between its endson the pedestal 1. A rod 11 is pivotally connected to the upper end of the lever 10 and extends horizontally across a side of the machine, having connection at its front end to a handlever 12, operation of which shifts the belt 7 from a pulley 5 or 6 to the other.

O n the shaft 4 a relatively large drive pulley 13 is fixed around which a drive belt 14 passes for driving mechanism hereafter described and located at the upper end of the machine. Alongside the pulley 13 is as econd wider and much smaller drive pulley through a belt 16, either the loose or fixed pulley 17 or 18vmounted on a shaft 19 a d' shiftable from the loose pulley, 17 to the Afixed pulley 18 or back through a shifting fork fastened to a horizontal rod 21, which is slidably mounted a short distance above and parallel to the rod 11 previously noted. The front end of rod 21`is formed with a hand hold for manual operation. A collar 22 is fixed on rod 21 between its ends, back of which is a collar 23 formed with a, projecting finger fixed on the rod 11, the linger lstance above the drive shaft 4. i

' coming directly back of the collar 22. It is 14 first, after which the -of col ar 23 engages 'against the evident that on grasping the lever 12 an movi it in a forwardv direction the finger collar 22 and moves the rod 21 1n a forward direction shifting the belt 16 from the fixed pulley 18 to the loose pulley 17 simultaneously with the shifting of belt 7 from the xed pulley 6 to the loose pulley 5. Accordingly, with the operation of the one lever 12 the-mechanisms, which are driven by belts 14 and 16, may be simultaneously stopped, but it is only ossible to start the mechanism driven by elt by belt 16 may be started; and if it should be desired it is possible to shift the belt 16 from the fixed pulley 18 to the loose pulley 17 and leave the belt 7 in engagement with the ixed pulley 6 so as to drive the mechanism which is driven from the drive pulley 13 through belt 14.

V vertical .shaft 27. The shaft 27 The shaft 19 is supported on and passes into a housing 24 being equipped at its inner end with a worm 25 which engages with a worm wheel 26 secured at the lower end of a extends upwardly through an opening in the top 3 of the housing 2 and at its upper end is equipped with a grooved feed roller 28,.. A complementary grooved feed roller 29 is located at one side of and in the same plane with the roller 28, being ixed at the upper end of a vertical shaft 30, the driving an mounting of which will be hereaiter described. Shat 30 passes downwardly through a journal block 31 slidably mountedv for lateral movement .in la frame 32 on the upper side of the housing 2. The journal block 31 is acted upon by a coiled spring 33 under compression, the force of which may be adjusted and regulated by an adjusting screw 34 threaded through the endof the frame 32, as shown in Fig. 3. Between the feed rollers 28 and 29 the work. to be operated upon is passed, consisting, as illustrated, of a cylindrical rod 35 of woodfrom which dowel pins are to be made.

In rontbf the feed mechanism apulley 36 is located. It is fastened to andaround 'a hollow sleeve 37 having an enlarged cylindrical front end 37a, and mounted for rotation in anti-friction bearings 38 in spaced apart standards 39 integrally formed with a base 39agwhich connects the lower end of the standards and which is located above and secured to the top 3 of the housing 2. The pulley 36 is located between' the standards 39 and the belt 14 passes around the same, whlle a member 41 secured to the rear side o the enlarged head 37a the front standard 39. Y

Within the sleeve 37 a tubular sleeve 40 is positioned, extending at its rear end beyond the rear end of the sleeve 37 v'and clampefdtliln e is located infront of rear standard 39. d by mechanism driven.

fluff 58 as shown in Fig.

The sleeve 'isclamped means of a screw bolt 42 and two clamping sleeves 43, as best shown in Fig. 6, `and it is evident that this sleeve is subject to some longitudinalV adjustment which may be had by loosening the bolt 42. That portion ofthe sleeve in front of the member 41 is free and unsupported and extends to and part way through the enlarged head-37 of the sleeve 37 The front end sleeve 40`is machined on `its inner side so as to make a conical seat 44 for a purpose which will later appear.

Within the tubular sleeve 40 a third sleeve 45 is located through which the' rod 35 is adapted to be fed. Sleeve 45 is also free from support at its front end and at its rear end 1extends a short distance back of the second sleeve 40 described and has a collar 46 secured thereto. Yoke and one below the collar, their ends to the collar b also serve as set screws collar to the sleeve formed at one end of a lever v50 mounted for rocking movement on a vertical shaft 51 which extends downwardly through and is carried by a plate 52. This plate serves also to pass and provide bearings for the upper portion of the shafts 27 described.

Directly below the lever 50 a bell crank lever is loosely mounted on the sha-ft 51 having a relatively long arm 53 which passes under the collar 46, and a shorter arm .54 turned substantially at right-angles, at its free end being equipped with a roller 55, which bears against the edge of a cam 56 are fastened at pins 49, which or attaching the pinned to the shaft 27 This cam is of irregular form and it is evident Vthat with the rotation of the shaft 27 the bell crank lever is rocked, the roller following the edge of the cam and being held securely thereagainst by a coiled spring 57 attached to the arm 53 of the lever.

The leverv 50 is vformed with a projecting 3, and also with a lug 5.9 f projecting substantially at right angles to the lug 58. The arm 54 is formed with an integral vertically extending lug 6() through which a screw 61 passes, the

D second -end of which `bears against a side of the lug 58. The arm 54 is also extended to provide a lug 62 through which ,-a screw 63 passes between the end of lug 59 a coiled spring 64 is located. By means of this construction the level" 50 is operated by lthe bell crank lever but the operation is not so positive that thevlevers will be broken should there be any interference with their free operation; that is the lever 50 is operated through the coiled compression spring tude of movement of the bell crank lever of the tubular arms 48, one above 45. These yoke arms are whichv and the f 64 which permits ajcertain latiwithout moving the lever 50 should an obstacle be encountered which tends to stop movement of lever 50.

The front end of yond the front end of sleeve and is formed into a head 65 which is radially slottedand formed with conical sides 65a adapted to lit the conical seat formed at 44 in the front end of the tubular sleeve 40. The operation of the levers described by the cam 56 serves to move the collar 46, and -the sleeve to which it is attached, rearwardly and bring the sides at a on the head 65 against the seat at 44fthereby causing the sectors of the head to grip the rod 35 whichv passes through sleeve 45, and hold itsecurely against movement. This occurs eriodically or once with every revolutlon of the shaft 27 as is evident. During the momentary period that. the rod is thus gripped, the feed rollers 28 and 29, while continuing in operation, are separated a small amount and do not act on the rod, the

' tapered sides 71aL the yoke arms 75a vert1calshaft76 which passes freely through cam portion 20a orf the roller 29 (see Fig. 3) acting to cause such separation at the time the rod is clamped'against movement.

At the front end of the head or enlargement 37 of sleeve 37 a circular plate 66 with a central opening therethrough is secured, in the face of which oppositely positioned guide slots are cut land Vover which afsecond or retaining plate 67 is located and `secured. Within the guides tool holders 68 are slidably mounted, each at its outer end being equipped with a smallroller 69 and at its inner end beingdbore'd to receive the shank of firmly yet removably held in place by a set screw 70a, as shown in Fig. 9. The cutting ends of the tools extend inwardly and the rod 35, to be operated thereon by said tools, passes through the central openings in plates 67 and 66 andg'between the ends of the tools which normally centrifugal action of the sleeve 37.

Around the cylindrical head 37a a sleeve member'71 is mounted, being splined theredue to the rapid rotation on so that it rotates with the head but may also have a longitudinal movement with respect thereto. At its outer end the inner sides of the vmember 71 are machined to form a taper indicated at 71a. It is against. the that the rollers 69 on the tool holders 68 bear, it being evident that on outward movement of the member 71, the tool holders and the tools carried thereby are forced finward toward each other. A .ring 72 is loosely mounted around the member 71 and held thereon by a screw threaded locking ring 73, shown in 74 project from the ring 72 at diametrical ly opposed points, connected with which are lof -yoke 75 pinned toa the sleeve 45 extends beand shaft, from a cutting tool 70,l which may bev causes the roller 9 0 are moved outwardly by s Figs. 2 and 7. Pinsl port 77, in turn supported on a boss or pro- ]ection 78 extending to one side from the front upright 39 previously described. At the lower end of the shaft 76 a collar 79 is secured by a pin passing through the collar wardly for a short distance and is then turned at right angles (see Fig. 4). Directly'above the collar 79 a collar 81 is loosely mounted on the shaft 76 arm 82 extends inwardl threads through a depen arm lat its inner lug 80, previously described. A lug or projection 81 extends from the colla-r 81 at right angles to the arm 82, as shown in Fig. 4, and a coiled spring-- 84 under compresslon is disposed between a set screw 85 passing through the lug 81a and the right angular extension to the lug 80. This conh A set screw 83 ing lug 82a on said struction described is similar in action tol i' -of safe-guarding themechanism or parts thereof from breaking should there be any obstruction to the free working movement of the sleeve member 7l on\-the h ead 37B. A coiled spring 86 is attached to the arm 82,

which a lug 80 extends iny from which an end bearing against the r the tendency of which is to draw said arm to the left (see Fig. 4).

A link bar 87 is end to the inner end o-f the arm 82, extending rearwardly therefrom, and at its rear end cis connected to an arm 88 loosely mounted on the shaft 51 below the plate 52. Arm 88 has a lateral branch 89 carrying a roller 90 which bears against a cam 91 fixed. to the Shaft 27,it being evident that the spring 86 to bear at all times against the edges of said cam. The cam is o irregular shape and with `each ro-tation of haft 27 a reciprocation ofthe bar 87 takes place with a consequentrocking of shaft 7 6,' which is transmitted through the yoke 75 to the sleeve member 71, causing it to lbe pivotally connected at one moved'back and` forth on the cylindrical head or enlargement 37a of sleeve 37, thereby operatin the cutting tools inwardly. At the front end ofthe housing 2 a vertical support 92 is rigidly fastened, the same being formed at its upper end with an outlet chute 93 having a vertical side, a downwardly inclined bottom, and two vertical ends, one side being open. The end nearest the plate 67 is provided with a. guide therethrough for the free passage of the rod 94-having an openlng 35. A rock shaft 95 is rotatably mounted v on and extends between the vertical ends of said chute being located to one side and a short distance -below the guide 94.- A stop ingerd96 is adjustably mounted on the shaft 95am length@ of the shaft to which it is moved by maybe secured at any point in the rectly its lowerend is rotatably.

.may be moved from its forward rotating sleeve means of a set screw. Adjacent its front end, anarm 97 is fixed on the rock shaft 95 extending laterally and` at itsouter end having the upper end of a connecting bar 98 pivotally .joined therewith, which bar extends downwardly and at its lower end is pivotally connected with the outer end of an arm 99 fixed to the front end of a horizon# tal i'ock shaftl 100 which extends the full length of the housing 2 and is mounted in bearings at the rear end of the housing 2 and on lthe support 92, as shown in Fig. 2.. An arm 101 is fixed lon the shaft 100 and a coiled spring 102 under tension is attached to said arm, the normal tendency of which is to rock the sha-ft so as to elevate arms 99 and' 97 and bring the stop finger 96 to a position diin front of the guide opening through the guide 94.

Near the rear end of the shaft 100 ase:- ond arm 103 is secured, projecting therefrom in the same direction as the arm 101 and at its end carrying a roller 104 which vbears against a cam`105 pinned to the shaft 27. The roller runs on the upper edge of the cam 105 which, at one point (see Fig. 5), drops abruptly so that the shaft 100 is quickly rocked to bring the stop finger 96 to position directly in front .of the guide 94,

staylng in such position for a part ot the p revolution of the shaft 27 and then being gradually-moved away as the roller is raise-d to the upper position on the cam, in which.

position of the roller on the cam the finger 96 is away from in front of the guide 94.

For driving `the shaft 30 in synchronism with and in an opposite direction by shaft 27, a lgear 106 is fixed' on shaft 27 1oelow the cam 105, meshing with a gear 1072 of equal size fixed o n the shaft 30.1 Said shaft 30 at mounted in a. vertical -sleeve 108, which in turn is mounted for rockingmovements on'a stud 109 which is fixed to the frame, this permitting the limited range of .movement which the feed roller 29 may have toward and away from the feed roller'28.

Operation-The 35 is between the feed rollers 28 and 29 and through the sleeve and guide 94 until its front end strikes against 'the stop finger 96. Lever 12 sition to the position shown in Fig; 1., therein); starting shaft 4 and driving' the sleeve 37 'at high speed., In practice it is desirable that the 37 be in motion before the mechanism driven by -shaft27 is started.

After this has occurred the rod 21 may be operated to force the belt'fromsthe loose pnlley -17 to the fixed pulley 18 thereby startingshaft`27 in motion, itbeing evident that this shaft is driven at relatively low speed.A

The rotation of the shaft 27 'causes an outward movementof the sleeve member 71 with a cgnsequent inwa d movement 'of the -cuttin tools meantime the sleeve i ing the putters 70 towardland into engagement with t e rod 35. Also the rotation of this shaft 2 7 causes a rearward longitudinal movement gf the inner sleeve 45, as has been described, so that the clamping jaws of the head are brought firmly against the rod 35, holding it securely during the time that the tools are working on'said rod. rIfhetools form the ends and cut through the rod so that a d'owel of the desired length is produced and when this has been completed and the sleeve member 71 moved rearwardly to the position shown in Fig. shown in Fig. 7, the cam 105 has moved to a position such that the sto finger 96 is elevated and moved out of t e way of the dowel shown at 35a in Fig. 8 and in the 45 has been moved forwardly from the position. shown in Fig.

to that shown in Fig. 2, rod 35 being fed between feed rollers 28and 29 so as to push the dowel which has been cut out of the guide 94v which holds it. The dowel drops into the chute and passes therefrom at its open side. The finger struct-ing position after the do el has dropped from the 'guide 94 and sgps the rod 35 in proper position ing operation of the cutters on the rod. The osition of the finger 96`in shaft 95 controls the length 'of the dowel.

96 moves back to ob.-

2 from that for the succeed- It is evident that the Awork performed on the rod is indefinitely repeated as long as there is a rod 35 fed into the machine and that the cycle of operations for the cutting of each dowel repeats itself indefinitely as longv as the machine is .in operation.

While we have shown cutters of (the.

proper shape to cut dowels from a cylindrlcal rod of wood it is very .evident that be formed on a machine of this character, it

les

manyV other articles besides dowel pins can being necessary merelgto use different types v or forms of cutters. or instance, spools can be made or fiuted spindles can be readil formed thereon and a glreat varietyl of articles may be made with t is machine roperly designed as t9 sizes of parts and c aracteryof Atools 70 to beused for the formation of The `various the particular article'desired. cams 91, 56 and 105 areso shaped and positioned on the shaft 27 that the movements of the parts of' .as not to interfere with each other but to com lement and furtherthe operation of the mac incas a whole.

This construction of machine-is ver. useful for the quantit production of di erent articles from woo and i of the invention consists Ain the ineans which the stock made -is held .rigidly against Ijnovement time that it Workedu on andthe or tools working upon t tate rapidly the. mechanism are timedso onesalient feature from which the articles are.

dur-

e stock ro-A vabout the 'same' and are fed vl-:w

automatically inward to perform their operations thereon. There are various other novel and useful features of the construction in the machine all of which are defined in the appended claims. All variations of the construction and detail thereof that come within the scope of said claims are to be considered as comprehended by our invention.

e claim:

1. In a machine of the class described, a support, a horizontal sleeve rotatably mounted in said support, means for continuously driving said sleeve, cutting tools mounted at one end of the sleeve and slidable radially inward or outward thereon, a second sleeve located within the first sleeve and 4 gitudinally to bring t-he same Vinto ed therein,

connected to the support, a third guide sleeve located within the secondl sleeve through which a length of materiall may be fed, means for moving said guide sleeve lonengagement with the second sleeve and thereby clamp the material against longitudinal movement, and means movably mounted'on the iirst sleeve and engaging with the cutting tools operable to move said mtools inwardly toward the material during the times that the material is held against movement, substantially as described.

2. In a machine of the ^class described, a support, a horizontal sleeve rotatablymounted on the support, means for continuously driving said sleeve, a second sleeve located within and lengthwise of the first sleeve, means for connecting said second sleeve to thesupport, said sleeve at one end being formed with a tapered seat, a guide sleeve located within the second sleeve through `which a length 0f material may be passed and formed at the same end with a slotted head having portions thereof tapered to tit against the tapered seat in thesecond sleeve, means for periodically moving the said guide sleeve longitudinally to bring the tapered portions of the two sleevesjnto engagement and thereby clamp the jaws of said guide sleeve against the material, and cutters carried by the first sleeve around the path of movement of the material, said cutters being movably mounted for inward and outward movement toward and away from said mate'- rial whereby the cutters may be moved in-l ward toward the material when it isclam ed and held against the movement, lsubstantlalfA ly as described.

3.'In amachine of the class described, a support, a horizontal sleeve rotatably-mountmeans for continuously drivingthe sleeve, a guide sleeve located in. the irsty sleeve through whichfa length of material may be fed, clampingmeans on the guide sleeve, means for l'periodically operating said clamping meansy Vto engage and hold the material vagainst lengthwise movement, tool holdersvslidably ibunted yat one end of the ltion of the shaft,

'tion of the shaft to thereby ya support, a guide sleeve -to engage with said first sleeve .for movement inward and outward toward the ried at the inner ends of said tool holders, a member mounted for reciprocation on the end of said first said member back and forth on the sleeve, the same being formed on its inner sides to engage with outer ends of the tool holders and force the same inwardly when said member is moved in one direction, substantially as described.

4. In a machine of the class described, a support, a horizontal sleeve rotatably mounted therein, a movably mounted guide sleeve through which a length of material may be fed, a shaft, means for driving the same,

material, cutting tools car-v sleeve, and means for moving sleeve, means connected to said guide sleeve and operated by the sleeve longitudinally once with each rotaguide sleeve with which said guide sleeve is brought into operative engagement to thereby clamp the material against longitudinal movement, cutting means carried at one end of the rotatably being slidable inward and outward toward and away from said mat rial, a cylindrical member slidably mounte on the rotatable sleeve, and'means connected therewith and operated by said shaft to cause the reciprocation of said member once with each revoluforce the cutting means inwardly toward said material, said movement occurring.' after said material has hold it against longitud-ibeen clamped to nal movement.

5. A construction containing the elements in combination defined in claim 16, combined with a movably mounted stop member adapted to be moved into the path of movement of thematerial as it is fed through the machine, and means connected with said stop member and operated by said shaft for moving the stop member to an inoperative position and then back to operative stopping position once- "during each revolution of said shaft.

6.' Ina construction of the class described, mounted on said support through which a lengthof material may be fed, a shaft, feeding Ameans adapted material to feed it through said guide sleeve, a rotatably mounted sleeve surrounding the guide sleeve, cutting means carried thereon ed to move inwardly toward or away from said material, means operated by said shaftv the shaft for reciprocating` means mounted around the mounted sleeve, said means movably mountwhen moved in one directi0n,' a power shaft, means for driving the rotatable sleeve therefrom, additional means for driving the first shaft from the powershaft, separate .manp ually operable means forv connecting said 'first shaft with the power shaft and for connesting the power shaft with any suitable source of power, and means for simultaneously 'operating both of said means when one is manually operated'to disconnect the l0 first shaft from the power shaft and also disconnect the power shaft from said source .of

ower, substantially. as. described. In ,testimony whereof 'we affix our signa' tures.

WILLIAM LOTTERMAN. 1 LEONARD B. LESTER. MERRITT K. ORION. 

